The world feels more than slightly overwhelming lately. It is unsurprising that design, or the design industry, are going through an existential crisis when the world is going through several crises at the same time. But a crisis seems as good a time as any to challenge a few things and start over. Just as the Black Death led the way for a cultural and philosophical Renaissance in Europe, so can our recent pandemic become the springboard for us to think about new, different, hopefully better futures: perhaps even a New Renaissance anchored in Latin America. As we work our way through democratic burnout, intelligent machines, and a climate emergency, it feels relevant to ask what design can offer in response to such a volatile outlook. Sure, design is not the solution to every problem — but if there was ever a need for a creative process best suited to address radically uncertain and complex problems, that’s probably now. So what could a New Renaissance look like for Latin America? And how can we build on design to help us make it happen?
Eduardo Marisca has spent over a decade working on design and innovation projects, leading transformation processes in multiple industries. He is the Editor-in-Chief for Mutaciones.la, a digital media outlet sharing innovation and transformation stories from across Latin America, and the Creative Director at Melmac, a boutique future design studio based in Lima, Peru. He shares his work and ideas throughout the region, exploring ways in which design and creativity can help build new possible futures for Latin America. Until 2020 he was part of La Victoria Lab, the innovation lab for the Intercorp Group in Peru in partnership with IDEO. He holds an MS in Comparative Media Studies from MIT, and a BA in Philosophy from the Catholic University of Peru (PUCP).
